Aethue mowat



(No Model.)

- A. MOWAT.

STUDENTS BOOK RESTV No. 340,596. Patented Apr. 27, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR MOVAT, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

STUDENT-S BOO K- REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340.596, dated April 27, 1886.

Application filed July 24, i885. Serial No. 172,544. (No model.) Patented in Canada August 4, 1885, No. 22,193.

To all whom it may concern: ,7

Be it known that I, ARTHUR MOWA'I, o the city of Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, gentleman, have invented an Improved Students Book- Rest; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The object of the invention is to design a cheaply-Tirade students book-rest capable of holding the leaves of various-sized books, and capable of adjustment both vertically and angularly to accommodate the sight of the user and the particular style of book he may at the time be reading; and it consists, essentially, of a board provided with a ratchet-rack on its back and adj ustably carried between two vertical supports fixed to a base-plate and set at a slight angle, a ratchet-pawl attached to a rod extending across the back of the vertical supports, and so arranged that the pawl shall engage with the ratchet-rack on the back of the board, on which board is also attached fingers on which the book rests, and adjustable fingers for holding the leaves of the book open.

Figure l is a perspective front view of my improved students book-rest. Fig. 2 is a perspective back View of the same.

In the drawings,Arepresents the base-plate, designed to rest on the table, and from which extend at a slight angle the vertical supports B. These vertical supports have grooves a, made on their inner edges to receive the tongue 6, formed on the edges of the board C, so that the said board may be adjusted verticall y but not laterally.

D is a crank-rod extending across the back of the supports 13, and suitably journaled' thereon, as indicated. This rod D has apawl, d, fixed to it in such a position as to engage with the ratchet-rack 6, formed on the back of the board 0, as shown.

The crank-rod D is so weighted that its inclination has a tendency to throw the pawl b into connection with the ratchet-rack e. Consequently when the board 0 is moved upwardly the pawl d, by engaging with the ratchetrack e, holds it in any desired position.

f are fingers extending outwardly at right angles from the face of the board 0, and forming a support on which the book E rests.

g are crooked fingers passing through blocks F, which are supported on the end of the pins or rods G, passing through holes in the board O, having their ends bent so that they cannot be drawn out of the said board. Both the rods G and fingers g are made such a fitin the respective holes through which they pass that they may be adjusted therein and will remain stationary atany desired point. By this arrangement the blocks F may be drawn out suffieiently far from the face of the board 0 to ac commodate the thickness of the particular book being at the time supported, and the angle of the fingers 9 may be adjusted also to suit the book.

With the View of altering the inclination of the supports B, I pivot a block, H, on the front edge of the baseplate A, the edges of which block are at different distances from the center of its pivot. Consequently by turning it on its pivot the block H is made to project below the bottom of the base-plate A, and the said base-plate will be tilted in proportion to the projection of the block below its bottom.

IVhat I claim as my invention is 1. A board, O, provided with the fingers f and held vertically adjustable between the supports B, a ratchet-rack, e, formed in the back of the said board, in combination with the pawl d, fixed to the crank-rod D, which is suitablyjournaled on the supports B, substan tially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The board 0, held between the supports B, and provided with fingcrsf, and blocks F, supported on the ends of the pins G, passing through holes in said board, combined with the fingers g, held in said blocks and capable of angular adjustment, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

Toronto, July 8, 1885.

ARTHUR l\IO\VAT.

In presence of- CHARLES C. BALDWIN, F. BARNARD FETHERSTONHAUGH. 

